I have been married for three years and my wife doesn’t get along with two of my sisters. She thinks they are rude and snub her at family gatherings. She doesn’t want to attend any of my family gatherings and tells me to not attend as well. She’s basically telling me that it’s either her or them.

My sisters don’t hate my wife and I can’t understand why there is all of this drama. My sisters are confused as well and tell me they don’t understand what she’s talking about. How do I show loyalty to my wife when my family isn’t that unhealthy? I don’t want to have to choose between my wife and my family.

column continues below

Answer

It’s important to remember that people behave in ways that make sense to them. Your wife’s feelings and behavior don’t make sense to you or your family, but it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have legitimate feelings that cause her to pull away. This is an important opportunity to show your wife that you have her back and will show her that she’s first.

Your family had your loyalty and priority before you married your wife. Once you committed to your wife that she would be your priority, it means that everyone and everything else comes second. This fierce loyalty is a critical foundation of strong marriages.

Your wife may be sensitive. She may be unreasonable. She may be falsely accusing your sister’s intentions. She may even be crazy. It doesn’t matter. She is your wife and your priority is to turn toward her for as long as it takes to understand and support her.

As long as she’s not harming herself or others, there is room for you to turn toward her and take the time to create understanding and safety.

I encourage you to stop running interference between your wife and your sisters. If they are confused about your wife’s behavior, they should talk to your wife, not you.

You’re complicating the situation by talking about your wife behind her back. It builds fear and resentment, which makes it difficult to resolve anything.

Don’t get hung up on your wife’s refusal to do things with your family. If your family is emotionally mature, they will understand that your marriage is more important than the larger family. Extended families are there to support marriages and help them grow.

I encourage you to view the idea of loyalty in a broader sense than whether or not you attend a family function. Loyalty to your marriage means giving your best energy, attention and concern toward understanding your wife’s concerns. Spend time listening to her and asking good questions. Put aside the pressure to do things with the family and let her know you care about her concerns.

You need to ask yourself the following question: Whose pain is more important to you … your family’s pain or her pain?

Listen to what she says.

She may be picking up on dynamics in your family that make it hard for her to fit in. She may have some valid feedback. I remember when I was first married my wife pointed out that I seemed to take on a different role when I was with my siblings. She noticed that I reverted back to some familiar role as the younger brother; that left her confused about where we fit in as a couple. Her feedback was helpful and allowed me to make adjustments as I moved from being a brother and son to being a husband.

Even if your wife is being overly sensitive, your undying commitment to her will soothe and reassure her that she’s not alone in her pain.

We are usually more reasonable and flexible when we feel safe and connected. As you provide that safety for her, chances are it will open up more options for interacting with your family.

Stay connected!

Geoff Steurer is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in St. George, Utah. He specializes in working with couples in all stages of their relationships. The opinions stated in this article are solely his and not those of St. George News.

Have a relationship question for Geoff to answer? Submit to:

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2015, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Geoff Steurer is the co-author of "Love You, Hate the Porn: Healing a Relationship Damaged by Virtual Infidelity" and is the founding director of LifeSTAR of St. George, a three phase treatment program for individuals and couples healing from the effects of pornography and sexual addiction. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice in St. George, UT. He specializes in working with couples in all stages of their relationships. He also specializes in working with individuals and couples dealing with any form of sexual betrayal. He has been married to his wife, Jody, since 1996 and they are the parents of four children. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
The opinions stated in this article are Steurer's own and may not be representative of St. George News.

2 Comments

Time to put on the big boy pants and make a life with your wife. Find a circle of friends that you can both be comfortable with. The big LDS focus on family of origin gets in the way of new relationships. My guess is you’re dropping by home every day or so to see the folks while your wife is at YOUR home waiting for you. I’ve seen it. Is she from the area? Did she move there to be with you? Does she have family close by? Do you spend time with them? The Bible says “Leave your mother and father and cleave only to your wife.” Sounds like you’re trying to make your wife fit into an old pattern and that’s not going to work for anybody. Ever thought of moving to a new location and a fresh start? Grow up.

Lets do the math.
1.) Sher told him how she felt.
2.) She has enough courage to stand up for herself, voice her opinion and not let her husband roll over her because he disagreed.
3.) She doesn’t just do whatever her husband says.
4.) She has enough self respect and confidence to KNOW that her opinion matters just as much as his and let him know that if he doesn’t like it, the door is that way.

Given that she has done all 4 of those things, I would say that NO she is NOT FROM HERE!!!